“You’re joking, right?”

“I don’t make such jokes.”

“But…”

He got up from the sofa and came closer to her slowly. He feared that she might run away from him, but he knew this was the moment he should pull her in.

“Rubica.”

She didn’t stop him when he stroked her head. Maybe she was so shocked and confused that she completely forgot about running away.

“I like you. I looked away because I couldn’t help thinking about how you looked in that nightdress when I saw you. When our fingers just slightly touched…”

He couldn’t bring himself to talk about how he touched her by mistake. Instead, he let out a hot breath.

“I like you, and it’s driving me crazy.”

“But I…”

“I’m not demanding you to do anything with me right now. Will you just give me a chance?”

“A chance?”

Edgar smiled sadly when looking at her lips repeating what he had just said.

He wished he could kiss those pair of lips right away. But now that he had confessed his love, he couldn’t just be swayed by the mood. He just bit her with his poisonous fangs. To swallow her whole, he had to wait for the poison to spread to her body.

“Just think of me as a ‘potential boyfriend’, will you? Just give me some possibility.”

He carefully kissed her hand, and he saw a possibility on her blushing cheeks.

‘There’s no need to rush.’

She was eventually going to love him, just like she had loved Arman.

It’s just that he wanted her to love him not because he was Arman, but as the person she was looking at right now.

“Edgar.”

Rubica called him in a hoarse voice while he gently grabbed her cheeks with his huge hands. Then, he slowly leaned down. She didn’t know what to do but, in the end, she closed her eyes. Soon he kissed her forehead.

“Goodnight, my love.”

That was what he always wanted to say every time he gave her a short goodnight kiss. And now, it was her turn to be confused as much as he had been. He left the room, only leaving his charming smile behind.

***

Rubica was so shocked by Edgar’s sudden confession of love. She had never heard anything like that from anyone, and she hadn’t known she would hear that from Duke Claymore.

‘What should I do? Oh, but I don’t think I’ve ever done anything that would catch his eyes…’

She couldn’t understand him. However, what was even harder to understand was herself not pushing him away. She had never been through anything like this.

She could neither guess his feeling nor hers and ended up not getting a wink of sleep.

And the next day, she was so busy that she couldn’t think about that anymore. The guests she had invited to her tea meeting sent back to announce they were coming and just assigning each of them to the right spot alone wasn’t easy.

“Your Grace, here’s a letter for you.”

Carl called her when she just managed to finish the job. Was she supposed to redo it all over again? She took the envelope, almost about to cry, but a happy smile crept across her face as soon as she saw the name on it.

“Angela!”

The letter had traveled a long distance and the envelope was in bad condition. Angela must have a lot to say as there were twenty letters inside, and Rubica didn’t hesitate to start reading them.

[Rubica! I’m writing you a letter as soon as I passed the entrance exam. I was worried as I had never been properly educated, but I passed, although barely. I’m still in the lower ranks, but I’m going to study hard and be the top of my class.]

Then, she explained in detail what she had experienced in her long way to the Academy. Rubica smiled when reading the stories about the many countries she went through and the many people she met.

[I tried to meet Isaac when I arrived, but I cannot meet him. Maybe he’s avoiding me. Mother always said he is a great student, always complimented, but it looks like he is great in the opposite meaning. My professors keep telling me, ‘You are so diligent, unlike your brother.’]

Rubica’s heart sank when Angela mentioned Isaac. The letter said she shouldn’t worry about it as Angela was going to let her parents know about it and find out more.

‘Well, it’s better this way. Isaac should give up his study and leave the Academy for everyone’s sake.’

And what followed that was enough to brighten her up. Angela was about to be given a long vacation before deciding on her major next semester, and she was asking if she could come to meet Rubica.

“Madam, you look delighted. The letters must have a lot of good news.”

“Angela passed the entrance exam, and she has made many funny friends too. There is a country ruled by a queen, and women can work as officials there. She wants to take me there someday.”

“She must be very smart. The new semester will be starting soon, I will send her a few books and writing tools in Claymore’s name.”

“And she wants to come to visit before next semester…”

“Ms. Berner can come anytime she wants. I will make arrangements and make sure she stays at the best guestroom we have.”

Carl immediately replied, so Rubica thanked him with a smile. She was already missing Angela. What should she make her wear and what should she make her eat? She started to look forward to it.

“Is there anything else you want me to do?”

The part of the letter about Isaac bothered Rubica. However, it didn’t seem right to ask for help with it. She had to take care of it herself.

“No, it’s…”

“Please tell me anytime if there is anything you want to be done.”

Rubica stared at Carl who patiently waited for her to speak.

“Thinking about the Academy reminds me of something. I once asked Edgar to find a man for me. I think he probably had you do it…”

“Oh.”

Carl exclaimed and regretted it. He should have pretended to be ignorant or tell her to ask the duke. However, his exclamation had revealed he knew something.

“I was wondering because he didn’t tell me anything afterward, and he was confident he could find him soon. Carl, if you know anything, please tell me.”

Saying he knew nothing was going to destroy the trust she had for him and Edgar, so he wondered about what he should do.

‘His Grace said he will win her heart on his own…’

But honestly, having to watch all that was driving Carl crazy. He couldn’t understand why his master was taking a detour when there was a shortcut right in front of him. Edgar called Arman an idiot without any courage, but in Carl’s eyes, the two were no different.

However, judging from Edgar’s personality, convincing him out of it was going to be impossible.

‘But what if she realizes it first?’

He couldn’t tell her openly, but he could give her a hint. Plus, if their love was made complete, it was going to be good for her as well. After all, the duke had once told him something.

-Do not consider me as your top priority. Always think of Rubica first.

Moreover, it was going to be better for her to find out that the Arman she was looking for was the duke as soon as possible.

Therefore, he was not betraying the duke, he was carrying out his order.

“We asked Aron’s Academy, and there was no blind man named Arman among its graduates.”

“Oh…”

“The duke must have not told you because he didn’t want to disappoint you.”

Rubica bit her lips. After a moment of silence, Carl gravely asked, “Your Grace, I was wondering…”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember the duke’s full name?”

“His full name? Edgar Taylor Clayd Windmore.”

Carl wanted to talk about the duke’s real full name, but he didn’t. He knew that if he mentioned that much the duke would make him pay for it.

“Oh, are you talking about his real full name that goes on and on for pages?”

Thankfully, his smart mistress soon found the answer he wanted, so he smiled broadly.

“Why don’t you look into it sometime? It has Claymore’s history in it.”

And he left after that, saying it was time to bring tea to Edgar.

“Have you given her the letters?”

Edgar quickly asked as soon as Carl went into the office.

“Yes.”

“And she didn’t say anything about it? Like the handwriting was wrong or the paper was worn out strangely.”

“Not at all. She was just happy to get the letters.”

“Good.”

Actually, the letters Rubica had gotten were a carefully made copy. The real letters were in Edgar’s hands.

Edgar had read Angela’s letters in advance, and his hands had shaken in rage to know what they said.

Angela kept asking once every ten sentences if the duke was abusing Rubica.

[If he ignores you, don’t stand it.]

[If it is painful, don’t endure it alone. Just tell me and I will come to you right away.]

And she also added, ‘Here at the Academy, Edgar is famous for being arrogant and selfish even though he is smart.’

She wrote everything, including the time he said, ‘What is so difficult about it? A month of studying should be more than enough for it,’ to a classmate who was ten years older than him and failed the test three years in a row.